Getting There
by Accidental.Enlightenment
Summary: An insight to Okubo's thoughts while Kuwabara's at the Dark Tournament. Part of the Unmaskings series. Oneshot.


January 13, 2006

_**Perseverance: **It's all About_  
_Getting There_

* * *

Lunch time, and Kuwabara's desk was empty again.

Okubo sighed. His best friend was still on that long vacation of his. He hadn't even told them where he was going, just that he would be gone for a long while. There was no telling when he would be back.

Urameshi wasn't here either.

But that was not so strange.

Both of them had been gone for a week now. Now that was strange. Were they both on vacation? Would they be in the same place?

Okubo didn't think so.

Kazuma Kuwabara and Yusuke Urameshi were like rivals. The top to street fighters in the district. They were constantly battling it out, always resulting in Kuwabara being badly beaten by the shorter fighter. It seemed unthinkable that they might both willingly be on vacation together.

Okubo looked out the window.

He couldn't understand why Kuwabara insisted on challenging Urameshi to fights day in and day out. Though Kumata had asked him once.

"Before I met him, I've never lost a single match! If this continues on, I'll never die in peace!"

Okay, so that was Kuwabara's reason. What was his? Did he even have a reason? Both Kuwabara and Urameshi were born fighters, but either one of them was stronger than he and his two other friends combined. Urameshi was a rebellious punk who wore the wrong color uniform, didn't give a care about his future, and fought to fill the time. Kuwabara fought because he was constantly considered the underdog.

But he was not Urameshi. And he was not Kuwabara.

He was Okubo.

Okubo, whose father had disappeared and left his large family to fend for themselves; Okubo whose mother was constantly working herself into illness trying to provide for his numerous brothers and sisters; Okubo who worked part time after school to help support all those brothers and sisters. Okubo who couldn't hold down a job without the school's approval.

He was under aged.

He could loose his job if some of the teachers at school had any say in it. And what with all his fighting, they could very well choose to say so.

So, why did he fight? Why did he, _Okubo_, risk his job to fight along side Kuwabara? For that matter, why Kuwabara?

Because. Just, _because._

There was something about Kuwabara that he couldn't quite define.

He admired Kuwabara, and he was loyal to Kuwabara. Kuwabara was honorable. He wasn't the brightest person, but then again, none of their little group of four could be considered smart. And Kuwabara stood up for them whenever he or any of his friends needed help.

But that wasn't it, exactly.

"He's a demon."

He couldn't quite recall who had said that, but it had been said, and it was true. Yusuke Urameshi fought like a demon, and still, Kuwabara challenged him. After that particular fight, Kumata had asked Kuwabara to stop fighting Urameshi. Okubo and his other two friends had rushed to Kuwabara, who lay sprawled across the middle of the street, an arm and leg raised in an expression of pain. One of his eyes was already swelling shut. His face sported several large bumps. That much he remembered.

"Yeah, we haven't won once, and lost 156 times, Kuwabara-san!" Okubo hadn't realized anyone was keeping track. All he knew was that Kuwabara had indeed been beaten numerous times. Whether the number his friend provided had been exact or merely an estimate, Okubo couldn't say.

Kuwabara had shot up to his feet in response.

"Shut up! I'll fight until I win!"

Apparently even that much activity was too much for him. The tall redhead collapsed once again, his body crumbling to the ground.

Well, what did they expect, the guy got beat up by the toughest punk on the block. He hadn't even stood a chance. Kuwabara was merely a glutton for punishment.

"_Before I met him, I've never lost a single match! If this continues on, I'll never die in peace!"_

Obviously, Kuwabara was being stubborn. But that was just another one of his honorable characteristics. Yet another reason to admire him. He was persistent. Possibly masochistically so, in the case of Urameshi, but that said something about him too.

That's why Okubo admired him. That was why Okubo was friends with Kuwabara.

Kuwabara had goals. He had dreams. A reason to live and a reason to continue on. Kuwabara might have hated Urameshi as a rival, but he needed him to survive. Urameshi was the one who gave him a reason to fight, a reason to live. To defeat Urameshi was his goal, and nothing would stop him from striving for that goal. Not even the one hundred and fifty-six defeats he had suffered from previous attempts.

"_Before I met him, I've never lost a single match! If this continues on, I'll never die in peace!"_

But maybe it wasn't all about defeating Urameshi. Maybe it was about having a reason to improve. Urameshi was Kuwabara's motivation. That made more sense. After all, what would Kuwabara do if he ever did defeat Urameshi? Who would there be left to fight?

He wouldn't have a purpose anymore.

So maybe it was the getting there and not the being there that made Kuwabara fight. And so Kuwabara continued to fight and lose. That said something about him. He had special something that set him apart from all the other street fighters in the city. He had a purpose beyond being the most feared fighter around.

He had a goal.

And that something gave him what was necessary to fight for it. And that was why Okubo fought. Okubo fought for Kuwabara, because Kuwabara had that something. Because Kuwabara had his reason. And for this reason, Okubo was going to support Kuwabara all the way. Because knowing this gave him a reason, gave _him_ that special something. And now he knew what that something was.

_Perseverance._

**Disclaimer:** Characters originate from the story of Yu Yu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi. Portrayal of Kuwabara intended as a part of the Unmaskings. Dialogue pulled from both the manga and the dub.


End file.
